Good Old Days
by labellebeaucoup
Summary: Love. It's a noun. It's a verb. And it's exactly what they found when neither were expecting it. Jumping hurdles and fighting for each other, they've finally found their happy place. Their family. Their love. *Sequel to Melting Magnets*
1. Bound Together

"_We didn't realise we were making memories,_

_we just knew we were having fun." ~ A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh)_

"Motherfucker!"

Olivia giggled, legs dangling in the air as she lay on her stomach on the soft, California King in her master bedroom, flipping through glossy pages of some fashion magazine. Blowing a pink bubble, her eyes travelled to the brunette standing in the doorway of the en suite. Mellie's hair was tossed into a messy bun and she wore a pair of black, Nike sweats with a white, fitted tank. Olivia smirked, glancing at the pink and white stick Mellie held in her hands - that fitted tank wouldn't fit much longer.

"I thought you two were using protection." Olivia's eyes returned to her fashion magazine, hand freezing as she was greeted with the image of her own face. She barely remembered the photoshoot, but there she was - natural hair held out of her eyes by a black headscarf, curvy body accentuated by the short, neon green sweater dress she had originally doubted. The photograph had caught her mid-laugh, head tossed back and eyes sparkling. The top of the article read: _Entrepreneur. Wife. Mother. Model: Inside the Life of a Fortune 500 Business Woman. _Olivia rolled her eyes. Model? That was being generous. After Elisha's birth, she had slowly started to model for Daughters of Artemis. It hardly classified as modelling.

"We were until I forgot my birth control and we had sex before I could remember," Mellie sighed, turning into the bathroom. A moment later, Olivia heard something hit the trashcan and the sink began running.

Closing the magazine and tossing it to the side, Olivia rolled toward the edge of the bed. Planting her feet firmly in the plush carpet, she stood, yanking her floral tank over her exposed stomach. Raising her arms in the air, she stretched feeling a few feeling a few bones pop as she did so. Laying in the same position for the past half-hour hadn't been such a great idea. Padding across the carpet, she came to a stop in the doorway of the bathroom. Mellie stood at the double vanity, her hands resting on the carribean blue quartz as she stared blankly into the mirror.

"Mells?"

"We agreed. No babies."

"You can always…" Olivia let the silence speak for her. She couldn't imagine ever making that decision herself, but she wasn't against someone else's right to choose. _If _that was what Mellie wanted. It was hard to tell. Olivia knew that her friend didn't want any children. Mellie had made that comment a handful of times and there was the whole incident with Fitz...the one they didn't speak about. But right now, in the moment, Mellie's expression was almost impossible to read.

"No." She shook her head sharply, strands of hair falling from her bun. "I _won't _do that again. I _can't_."

"When are you going to tell Jase?"

The brunette sighed, finally turning around. She leaned heavily against the countertop, knuckles turning white as she gripped the edges. Wide-eyed, she chewed on her bottom lip. "The sooner the better."

"Hey -" Olivia entered the bathroom fully, nearing her friend and throwing her arms around her, "-it's going to be okay. He loves you and even if he isn't sure how he feels at first, he'll come around. And you two will be bomb-ass parents."

"Oh God -" Mellie chuckled for the first time since she had arrived at Olivia's, a pregnancy test in her bag and fallen spirits, "-Fitz has _got _to stop teaching you new phrases."

Olivia joined in with Mellie's laughter - content to let the moment pass. When it finally did, she rested her head on Mellie's shoulder. _Why did everyone have to be taller than her? _Patting Mellie's back, she stated: "I'm here for you. No matter what."

"Because you're my person." Both being huge Grey's fans, it was only a matter of time before they adopted Cristina and Meredith's phrase - using it all the time. It was to the point that, a few years back, Fitz had gotten them matching hoodies with the phrase for Christmas.

"Because you're my person," Olivia agreed.

/

"Leo Elijah Grant." Olivia's hands rested on her hips, her face contorted into her infamous, no-nonsense expression, as her gaze landed on her son. The curly-haired six-year-old stopped, mid swing at his little sister. The little girl, mature for her four years, stuck her tongue out at her brother, shoulder-length ringlets bouncing as she darted behind her mother's legs.

"_Why _were you trying to hit your sister?"

"She took my toy!"

Sighing, Olivia twisted around to look at her daughter. It wasn't until she put a finger under Harper's chin, gently forcing her to look somewhere _other _than her own feet, that she was finally met with her daughter's dark blue eyes.

"Did you take your brother's toy?"

Slowly, Harper nodded, her lip trembling. Frowning, Olivia crouched to her daughter's level. "What do we not do, Harper Faye?"

"Take toys before asking."

"Bingo. Now give your brother's toy back."

Standing, Olivia watched as Harper slowly trudged toward Leo, pulling a toy car from the front pocket of her white overalls. Leo took the toy from his sister's outstretched hand and, almost as if by afterthought, wrapped his arms around her neck, releasing so fast that if Olivia had blinked she would have missed it.

"I'm sorry," he muttered before taking off down the hall at a sprint. Olivia shook her head. No matter how many times she had told that child not to run…

"You can go play too," she told the little girl milling around the kitchen, watching sadly after her brother, "but one more fight and you're _both _in timeout until your daddy gets home."

With the warning still ringing in her ears, Harper took off down the hall, following her big brother's footsteps. Shaking her head, Olivia glanced at the clock on her watch. Fitz would be home in another hour. Pulling her phone from the pocket of her leggings, her fingers flew across the keyboard.

_**Feel like picking up pizza on your way home? xx**_

_**Sure thing, babe xx**_

She smiled at the quick response and the way, after all these years, he still called her babe. Returning her phone to her pocket, she padded down the hallway past the playroom and to the last door on the left. Cracking the door open, she peeked inside to find her two year old standing in her crib, chunky fists wrapped around the railing. Smiling to herself, Olivia fully opened the door and entered the room. Elisha, the only of her three children to have come out a near carbon copy of herself, was always thrilled to see her mom. Wrapping her arms securely around Olivia's neck, she giggled as Olivia lifted her from the crib.

"Do you need a diaper change?"

"No mama." The high, squeaky voice coupled with Elisha's struggle to pronounce most words turned every struggle into an elaborate game of guess that word. Somehow, though, Olivia still managed.

"Hmm," Olivia tsked, feeling the toddler's diaper through her orange, lacy romper. Satisfied that Elisha's diaper was, indeed, dry, Olivia adjusted the spaghetti straps of the outfit she was wearing and carried her down the hall to the playroom.

"Eesha!" Harper was always happy to see her sister - and always seemed to forget the _L _in Elisha's name.

Setting the toddler on the floor, Olivia took a seat in the rocker that was in the corner of the room. And that was where Fitz would find them when he got home an hour later.

/

"Elisha, sweetheart, you have to go to sleep," Fitz sighed, finally giving in and plucking his screaming two-year old from her crib. Laying her against his chest, he began rubbing circles across her back as she rested her head on his shoulder, fists rubbing at her tear-streaked cheeks. Moving toward the doorway, he hit the lightswitch beginning to sing softly before she had a chance to protest the sudden darkness.

"_Twinkle, twinkle little star_

_How I wonder what you are_

_Up above the world so high_

_Like a diamond in the sky_

_Twinkle, twinkle little star_

_How I wonder what you are." _

From the hallway, Olivia watched as Fitz repeated the lullaby over and over. A small crossed her face, watching her husband pace throughout the room and comfort their daughter. Finally, when she could fight sleep no longer, Elisha's eyes closed. Even then, Fitz continued to pace the room with her for another few minutes - making sure that she was well and truly asleep. After he had laid her in her crib, he turned the baby monitor on and quietly left the room, cracking the door just a bit. Elisha _hated _the dark.

"Leo and Harper?"

"Sound asleep," she responded, standing on the tips of her toes to sweetly kiss his cheek. Together, they walked down the hall passing the cracked doors of the older children's rooms. None of the kids would sleep unless the hall light was on and their doors were cracked. It was a habit Olivia knew she would have to break when they were a bit older, but for now, she let them be.

"How was work?" She questioned as they trudged down the hall leading to their bedroom.

"Micah's designing some new brain activity scan...Hell I don't fucking know." Micah was slowly, but surely becoming one of Fitz's friends. He was insanely smart - a much _different _kind of smart than Fitz, but it was a quirk that complimented their group's other quirks.

She giggled, twisting the knob of their bedroom door and entering the room. He flipped the lightswitch behind her as she moved toward the bed, flipping their covers back. She watched as he entered the bathroom, sink running once he started to brush his teeth. Yawning, she turned the television on before joining him.

Snuggled in bed together, they watched the evening news. Occasionally, the droll tones of the news anchors would be interrupted by their quiet chatter. Fighting to keep her eyes closed, Olivia scooted closer to Fitz, resting her head on his chest. Moments like these were ones she had come to look forward to - quiet evenings with her husband, discussing their days and their children.

"_And here, four years ago, is where the last signal from JL670 was received. Tonight…" _

Suddenly, Olivia sat up in bed, eyes wide as the news anchor's voice faded in the background. In unison, she and Fitz spoke - her tone soft and whispered while his was loud. Still, the words were the same:

"_What the fuck?" _


	2. I Could Feel Him Alive

"_Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind. Or forgotten." ~Lilo & Stitch_

_**Just landed. I'll call you when I know something. Check in on Audrey when you can. Please?**_

Olivia's eyes scanned the screen of her phone before she began typing her response.

_**Be safe! Calling Isa now. **_

Hitting send, she waited until she was sure the message had actually sent. They were exchanging texts across continents and that didn't always go over so well. Once she was sure that the text had sent, she exited her messages screen and went to her contacts, hitting the blue phone icon underneath Isabelle's name.

"Hello?"

"Isa! How's Audi?"

"Napping."

"You sound like you were napping, too."

"Nah. Just in the middle of writing a paper."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be! I needed a break. _Fuck_. I didn't even realise it's 3."

Olivia smiled at her sister's language. She had managed to keep it in check while she lived with them, but now in her senior year at Princeton and living in her own apartment off campus, she didn't make the same efforts. Unless she was talking to Fitz. They all knew that he wouldn't say anything anymore, but Isabelle still tried to watch her language.

"How's the semester going?" Shouldering her phone, Olivia swirled in her desk chair. Her gaze landed on the black, wooden frame behind her desk that held her own degree. The degree proclaimed that the University of California, Sanata Barbara had conferred a bachelor's of science in business administration. Olivia was proud of that framed degree - even with her kids, she had worked hard to stay on the dean's list all four years of school and earn that piece of paper.

"Hard as hell." The sound of a door opening and closing could be heard before Isabelle continued speaking, "I can't slack, though. I _have _to keep my 4.0. I have two interviews coming up and if my grades slip, it won't matter how well they go."

Olivia nodded, twisting back around to look at her computer. Isa was planning on becoming a pediatric surgeon and had applied to two medical schools - Harvard and Yale. Her own campus didn't offer a medical program and she knew that most universities gave preference to their own students, so her grades had become one of the many ways to stand out and make an impression.

"When are your interviews?"

"Harvard is Saturday and Yale is next Friday."

"You'll knock it out of the park."

"Oooh. Look at you using sports metaphors."

The sisters shared a laugh at that. Isabelle, having made many friends at uni, had fully immersed herself in American culture - speaking the language, watching the sports, listening to the music. Olivia was a bit slower, but Fitz had talked her into a few baseball games and a _lot _of basketball games - the two sports her husband seemed unable to live without.

"Hey, so over summer break, my papa is going to be in California for some summit thing and I was wondering if you and Fitz would be cool with me throwing a little get together sort of thing for him?"

Olivia smiled to herself. Isabelle's relationship with her father was _exactly _at the place Olivia and Eli had managed to get to before...Olivia was happy for her little sister and she had come to like Gabriel. He treated her like a daughter as well and, following her bout of depression after Harper's birth, had become a pseudo-father figure. Olivia was happy to include Gabriel in her ever expanding family - her family that had taught her that blood didn't mean everything.

"I'll have to see how Fitz feels about it, but I'm sure he'll be okay."

"I'll call him later and ask him."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. We haven't talked in a while. It'd be good to catch up." Isabelle was, even thousands of miles away, still Fitz's partner-in-crime.

"Okay," Olivia nodded, "Will you keep me updated on Audrey?"

"I'll have Audi call you when she wakes up."

"Thanks Isa."

"Anytime. How is Alice? She seemed…"

"Excited?"

"Yeah. I just don't want her to get her hopes up and then…"

"I know."

"How are you?"

"I'm taking it one day at a time, Isa. It's the only way I can stay sane."

"Well I'm here if you need to talk."

"Thanks, Isa."

/

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Olivia walked into the large living space, fastening the back of her earring. Deborah lounged on the large, grey sectional and Micah sat on the carpeted floor, legs criss-crossed, as his eyes scanned what looked to be an official report spread across the glass coffee table. The flat screen played quietly in the background and the baby monitor sat on the couch beside Deborah.

"The kids are already asleep and you two haven't had a real night out in years. Go." Deborah didn't glance up from the book she was reading. Olivia glanced outside the floor to ceiling windows, studying the dark yard, the fence surrounding the pool just visible to the side. A large yard was part of Olivia's request when she and Fitz had decided to build their own home shortly before Harper's birth. They had both been sad to say goodbye to their first home, the home they had fell in love in, but building a house together had truly symbolised a fresh start as a couple.

Olivia threw a look in Fitz's direction before sighing, adjusting the brown belt on her white jeans and pulling her grey tank down. She accepted the striped, grey and white cardigan her husband handed her - nights were still a bit chilly in late April. "If Harper wakes up, the calamine lotion is in the medicine cabinet in our bathroom. The children's benadryl is in there, too. She can't have any of that before midnight, though."

Finally, Deborah placed a bookmark in her book and closed the heavy tome, laying it on the sofa. Swinging her legs around, she stood and walked around the sofa to stand before Olivia.

"Olivia, the kids will be fine. I raised Fitz, didn't I? Go have fun."

"I just feel bad leaving them with you - especially after Harper's run-in with poison oak, while we go out to have fun."

Deborah nodded, patting Olivia's arm: "Dear, I'm their grandmother. I _live _for moments like this. And you and Fitz need nights off, too. You'll get burned out if you don't."

"Thank you." Olivia hugged Deborah before moving out of the room, down the hall to the foyer where she slipped her brown sandals on her feet. Fitz gave his mother a quick peck on the cheek and a thank you before following his wife.

"You think she'll be okay?"

"She'll be fine."

/

"He was hilarious," Mellie laughed, her arm wrapped tightly around Jase's.

"This was one of the best shows we've been to," Olivia agreed, her own arm wrapped around Fitz's as she struggled to stay upright. She was definitely feeling the two blue kazoos and the two Georgia peaches she had drank during the show. She hadn't thought about how strong the drinks had been at the time, preoccupied with the comedians they were watching, nor had she really considered Fitz's surprise when he had read that Bacardi 151 was used in the first two drinks. Now that they were walking down the nearly deserted sidewalk toward their car, she was certainly feeling those drinks.

"And look: Mellie isn't even intoxicated." Fitz chuckled, pulling his arm from Olivia's and wrapping it around her shoulders, holding her close to his body as he helped her walk.

"That's because she's -" Olivia stopped herself, biting her lip as she glanced at Mellie.

Shaking her head, a smile on her face, Mellie stated: "It's okay, Liv. Jase knows."

"What am I missing?" Fitz wondered aloud, stopping in front of Mellie's white, Mercedes-AMG 4-door coupe. Leaning Olivia against the car, he reached around her to open the door. As he was helping Olivia slide into the backseat, Mellie answered.

"Jase and I are going to have a baby."

Fitz almost hit his head on the car as he stood, turning to look at Mellie and Jase. Mellie was smiling softly and Jase...Jase had the proudest, '_I did that' _look on his face that Fitz had ever seen. Shutting the car door, he gave Mellie a quick hug before slapping Jase on the back.

"Congrats you two."

"Thank you."

"We were going to ask you and Liv to be the godparents, but I think we'll wait until she's a little more sober," Jase chuckled, turning to the passenger door.

"I was wondering why Mellie volunteered to be our dd," Fitz stated, walking around the car and sliding into the backseat beside an already snoring Olivia.

"I've dd'd before." Mellie shrugged, turning the key and starting the car.

"You still normally have one drink, though. At the beginning of the show."

"True."

"Although watching Liv get drunk was almost as much fun."

"It's been a while since she's been out."

"Yeah. We really have to fix that," Mellie said, easing onto the highway and cracking her window as she did so, sighing at the first feel of the cool night breeze drifting into the car.

"Agreed."


	3. Found

**A/N - There are a lot of phone conversations in this chapter, but they were necessary to move the story along and set up what is to come later. Hope you guys enjoy! - Gabi xx**

"_If you focus on what you left behind, you will never see what lies ahead." ~ Gusteau_

_Ring. Ring. Ring. _

Sitting up in bed, covers falling to her lap, Olivia rubbed at her eyes. Her head hurt and everything was fuzzy. Reaching blindly for her phone, she slid her finger across the screen. The clock on the nightstand read 2:04. Vaguely she remembered Fitz helping her to bed after Mellie and Jase had dropped them off and the effects of the alcohol, although dulled a bit, were still there.

"Hello?" Her voice was hoarse, barely recognizable.

"Olivia."

"Mom?"

"He's...he's…he's…"

Suddenly, Olivia was wide awake, tapping Fitz on his shoulder until he rolled over. He glanced at the clock before letting out a sigh and struggling to sit up. Only then did he seem to notice that Olivia was on the phone. She turned to him, wide-eyed, and pulled the phone from her ear, putting it on speaker.

"He's alive."

It took only a moment for Fitz to turn to Olivia, mouth hanging open. Olivia took a shaky breath, nearly dropping her phone before Fitz intervened. Taking the slim device in his large hand, he held it between the two.

"Alive?" He questioned.

"He's in the hospital. In Manilla. He's...in a coma. They didn't have any way of identifying him."

"Stable?"

Olivia was glad Fitz had taken over the conversation for her. She wasn't sure she could trust her voice. Four years of believing that her father was dead. Four years of longing for the man that she had just started to get to know. All of a sudden, she had a second chance. When she had first learned that her father's plane had disappeared on his way back from a business trip to Japan - on his way back _because _of her, because she was supposed to go into labour at anytime, she had been devastated. Not even Harper's birth had pulled her out of the deep funk she had found herself in.

"Yes."

"Have you talked to Mellie? It'd be better if he were here."

"Agreed."

"How?" Olivia finally found her voice, uttering one word that carried so much meaning. Alice was silent on the other line and when she answered, Olivia could hear the emotion in her voice:

"A couple guys on a boat found him, floating in the water. He had a life jacket on and he was dehydrated. By the time they got him back to the island, he had…"

"He was in a coma." Fitz finished Alice's sentence for her, bringing a hand to his forehead.

"Yes."

"He's going to be okay, though. He'll be okay. We have him back, mom." Olivia leaned her head against Fitz's shoulders, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"We have him back," Alice echoed.

/

"I thought everything was a dream," Olivia whispered, staring at her phone. She had woken up barely ten minutes earlier and wandered down to the kitchen where she sat with her hands wrapped around a warm mug of coffee. Elisha's cries had been what had woken her, but by the time she had gotten to her daughter's room, Deborah had already whisked her out of bed, changed her diaper, and had her in her highchair in the kitchen.

"Me too," Fitz agreed, sitting across from his wife and chopping fruit for his daughter. Both their eyes were glued to Olivia's phone screen where a text message was displayed.

_**Talked to Mellie. Transferring him home Monday. Keep you updated. Love you. **_

"Is he -?"

"We don't know. I hope, but we just don't know," Olivia stated, bowing her head, "I'll feel better after Mellie or Jase have seen him."

"It'll work out. He's strong. Eli's strong, Liv." Deborah placed her spatula in its holder, turning her back to the stove and crossing the room to the breakfast nook her daughter-in-law sat at. Wrapping her arms around Olivia, she kissed the top of her head and held her close.

"Thank you."

"Anytime dear."

"Micah still asleep?" Fitz asked, placing strawberries in front of Elisha as Deborah resumed her spot in front of the stove, fixing breakfast.

"He had a long night."

Fitz nodded, smiling at his daughter as her cheeks slowly turned a dark shade of red, before a look of understanding crossed his features and he shook his head violently. "No. No. No. Not okay."

Deborah and Olivia began laughing, tossing their heads back as they did so.

"He was working on his research," Deborah clarified, "And your children didn't fall asleep until right before you got home."

"They were up until one?" Olivia twisted in her seat, looking at her mother-in-law in disbelief.

"Harper woke up around 11:30 and had to wait until she could take more Benadryl. It took that about an hour to kick in. And Leo wouldn't fall asleep until Micah had read almost every book in his room."

"Oh God." Olivia placed her head in her hands.

"He's going to be a pain in the ass tomorrow," Fitz chuckled, "He won't want to go to sleep."

"If you have trouble getting him up for school, I'll come over and take care of it. It _is _my fault he stayed up so late."

"It's not your fault. You had your hands full with Harper and Leo can be...demanding," Olivia assured.

/

Fitz sat in his office, going over an email from Huck, when his phone rang. One look at the name crossing his phone and he was grinning. Grabbing his phone from his desk, he leaned back in his chair and placed it to his ear.

"Hi Isa."

"Fitz! You never call anymore. Never write, either."

"You want me to write?" Fitz chuckled.

"I guess if you wanted to. Just figured that'd be more down your alley."

"I think I'm good."

"Ha. How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Busy. Pretty sure I kicked butt at my interview."

"That's great! Yale next week, right?"

"Yep. Honestly though, I really like Harvard. They took me on a tour and everything. I could see myself living in Boston. Plus who doesn't want to go to Harvard?"

"Fair enough."

"Anyway, I talked to Liv about this but wanted to run it by you, too. My papa's going to be in Cali over the summer and I wanted to throw a little get together for him."

"Fine by me. I like Gabriel."

"Sweet. Oh and Fitz?"

Fitz frowned. Isabelle's tone had gone from taunting (she always had _something _to tease him about) to nervous. "Yeah?"

"I haven't told Liv, yet, but...I'm kind of seeing this guy. I was going to invite him to fly out for the party for my papa and…"

"And?"

"I just...I want you to meet him."

Fitz smiled to himself, knowing that was the closest she was ever going to get to outright asking him for his approval. It made him feel good that respected his opinion enough to want his thoughts on the man she was seeing.

"Invite him. Hell, ask him if he wants to spend the summer. College kid, I bet?"

"Yeah. He's interviewing at Harvard and Yale, too. For law."

Fitz nodded his head, already impressed.

"Is that why you want to go to Harvard?"

"He hasn't interviewed, yet. But...Harvard's ranked higher than Yale."

"So that's why you want Harvard."

"Yeah. But either way, I'd be grateful to go to whichever."

"You'll get into Harvard."

"I hope."


	4. Home

"_Just keep swimming." ~ Dory, Finding Nemo_

"He looks…"

"Like he's sleeping." Alice stood at the head of Eli's bed, rubbing his scruffy head. He had been at UCLA for all of three hours by now, but Olivia was just getting the chance to visit. Mellie had texted her when the plane had landed, and so had Alice, but they had both requested that she wait before visiting - the hospital wanted to get him in his room and bathed and shaved.

"I can't believe it." Olivia finally inched into the room, stopping at the foot of Eli's bed. Slowly, she reached a hand out and placed it on his sock-clad foot. He didn't move. Didn't acknowledge that she had touched him. Between that and all the machines he was hooked up to, the joy of seeing him after four years was slightly dulled.

"They're running tests. Mellie's on top of it."

Olivia nodded, relaxing her shoulders just a hint. Knowing that Mellie was in charge made her feel a little better. The woman was a hell of a doctor and she loved Eli like a brother. Twisting her head, she gave Alice a weak smile when the older woman rounded the bed and threw her arms around her.

"It's going to be okay, Liv. It'll be okay."

"I hope so, mom."

Pulling away, Alice smiled - a genuine smile that reached her watery eyes. "You've been calling me that more frequently."

Olivia nodded, returning Alice's expression with a smile of her own. "Is that okay? I like to think of you as my mom."

"It's not because -"

"That's some of it. But she was never really a mom to begin with." Olivia shrugged. Believing Eli to be dead had _devastated _her, but when she had gotten the call that her mother had died after a year-long battle with Osteosarcoma she had been indifferent. She wouldn't have even gone to Maya's funeral if it hadn't been to support Isabelle and Fitz's insistence that Olivia needed closure.

"Well, you can call me mom anytime."

/

"Harper, what do you want for lunch?"

Olivia entered the kitchen of her home to find Elisha in her highchair, a bowl of veggies in front of her, and Leo sitting at the table, eating macaroni and cheese.

"Two out of three eating. That's a record," Olivia teased, smiling when Fitz shook his head in frustration, turning around to yell for his daughter.

"Harper Faye!"

"Where is she?"

"Watching cartoons."

"I'll go get her."

Olivia walked out of the kitchen, padding down the hallway to the family room. At the doorway, she grinned at the sight of her little girl kneeling in front of the coffee table, her arms propped on the glass and hands holding her head while her eyes focused on the television screen. The kids weren't allowed to watch much television, but Olivia never complained when it was something educational. And Harper had suddenly developed a fascination with Animal Planet.

"Harper?" Olivia frowned when her daughter didn't respond to her name. Dropping her hands from her hips, she entered the room fully and made her way to stand in front of the television. The lecture she had ready for the little girl - prepared to remind her that she needed to answer when her name was called, died on Olivia's lips at Harper's wide-eyed expression upon seeing her mother. She was shocked.

Holding both arms up, Olivia held her thumbs and pinkies out, her other fingers closed, and slowly moved her hands down. _Now. _

Harper's eyes followed her mother's movements as Olivia then used her index finger to tap her wrist. _Time. _

Finally, holding her left arm vertical above her right hand that she had crossed over her body, she held her open, left palm toward her face, pushing down on her right hand. Then, dropping her arm, she pinched all her fingers together and used her hand to gesture toward her mouth. _Noon Food. _

Harper nodded. Making an A with her right hand, a closed fist with her thumb barely peeking out, she rotated her hand counter clockwise against her chest. _Sorry. _

Placing her hand on her daughter's back, Olivia walked with her to the kitchen. In the kitchen, Fitz turned from the stove to his daughter, his frustrated expression quickly fading at the look on his wife's face.

"Her batteries are dead," Olivia explained. Fitz nodded, bending to his daughter's level. Pointing on the grilled cheese he had decided to make for her when she hadn't answered (her favourite food by far), he held his right hand up, forming an "O" with his fingers. He followed that by holding his open left hand beneath his right hand. He used his index and middle fingers of his right hand to form a "K".

Harper nodded, holding a closed right fist in the air before forming a "K" with her own hand. Leaning forward to hug her daddy, she giggled when he stood, picking her up with him. He placed a kiss to her cheek before carrying her to the table and placing her in her seat.

"I'll add batteries to shopping list," Olivia stated, moving toward the lined piece of paper that hung on the refrigerator. Grabbing a pen from the counter, she wrote on the bottom line in her neat, even handwriting. "I'll go out early tomorrow morning. I'm going to visit my dad and then I'll stop at the store."

"How was Eli?" Fitz leaned against the island, studying his wife. Slowly, Olivia turned around.

"He's still in a coma. Mellie is running tests, but...for the first time in four years, I feel...optimistic. I think everything's going to work out."

Fitz smiled, leaning over the side of the island when Olivia scooted closer, standing on her tiptoes as she waited for a kiss. She smiled to herself when he placed his lips on hers - and giggled at Leo's loudly exclaimed:

"Ew!"

Pulling away from her husband, Olivia frowned in Harper's direction. As amused as she had been by her son's outburst, she felt for her little girl. Harper was still eating, having made no movement of acknowledgement at her brother's outburst. And why would she? She hadn't been looking at Leo - she had no clue that he had even said something.

"I'm going to ask mom to babysit in the morning. I'd like to go with you." Fitz's voice drew Olivia out of her thoughts and, slowly, she nodded her head.

"I'd like for you to come."

* * *

**A/N: **Writing a deaf character is something that I have been toying with for years. There isn't much representation in literature for us and I've always been afraid of _writing _it _wrong_. Unlike Harper, I'm only deaf in one ear and that, like Harper, is corrected by a Cochlear Implant - when I actually wear it. It isn't like hearing with your own ears - there's a metallic sound to every word, but at least it's _something_. I probably won't have Harper address that here - she's too young to really have those thoughts and being born deaf, she wouldn't know what it actually is like to hear (something I only know because even though I was born deaf in my left ear, I can hear with my right), but just know that when her Cochlear implants are working, **that **is how she hears things.

Until next time,

G. xx


	5. Soul's the Limit

"_I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now." ~Edna, The Incredibles_

"So can she hear anything?"

"No. She can lipread, though."

"That isn't fair of me. Now I wish I _would _have taken ASL in college."

"You'll get through it, Micah. Mom can sign and Harper won't give you any trouble." Fitz patted the man on the back, his gaze travelling to where his daughter sat on the sofa beside her grandmother. She lay snuggled into her grandmother's side, her head resting on Deborah's chest. She had somehow managed to get back into the patch of poison oak in the backyard - a reminder to Fitz that he needed to get someone to take care of that, and was struggling to keep her eyes open after a dose of Benadryl.

"Just don't treat her any differently than you would Leo or Elisha and you'll be fine." Olivia came up behind the two, wearing a pair of grey high-waisted trousers and a light-blue button-up shirt. Even in her black heels, she was still considerably shorter than her husband and Micah. She answered Fitz's questioning look with, "I'm going to drop by the office for a few minutes."

Fitz nodded, leaning over the back of the sofa to place a kiss to Harper's cheek. She lifted her head to look at her father, her eyes half-closed. Raising his hand, he held his ring and middle fingers down, leaving his thumb, index, and pinky raised as he waved his hand at his daughter. Sleepily, she repeated the gesture. His eyes drifted to the baby monitor behind Deborah that showed a sleeping Elisha.

"Bye, Leo." Olivia waved to her son when he twisted his head, raising a hand wrapped tightly around a crayon and waving at his mom.

"We'll see you later, little man." Fitz waved at his son.

In the car, Olivia leaned her head against the back of her seat. Her eyes drifted to the passing cars as they drove through the city - the sun high in the sky. Grinning, she reached for Fitz's hand, linking her fingers with his.

"It's been a while since we've gone for a ride in this car," she commented.

"That's what happens when you have kids," he teased, raising her hand to his lips and placing a kiss against her smooth skin.

"I was thinking about that."

"Oh?"

"Elisha is two. We've always talked about trying for another little boy."

"Now?"

"Well, after we find out what is going on with my dad."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

/

"Eli, man."

Olivia watched from the doorway as Fitz stood at the end of Eli's bed, his hand resting lightly on the man's foot. She was giving him some space - some alone time with her dad. She knew how hard it was to see Eli like this and Fitz thought of him like a brother. It was probably even harder on him.

"His doctors there were fucking idiots."

Olivia turned at the sound of Mellie's voice. The brunette was carrying a tablet, scanning something on the screen, and wearing green scrubs. Her stethoscope just barely peeked out from the pocket of her white lab coat. She looked exhausted - dark bags were prominent under her eyes, sticking out like a sore thumb against her pale skin.

"Is it bad?"

"No, but I can start trying to slowly wake him up. Something they could have tried years ago."

"Huh? If he's ready to wake up then why has he been in a coma so long?"

"Because they were keeping him in one. The drugs they were giving him - that _we're _still giving him. I didn't want to take him off until I got his scans and tests back."

"He's going to be okay?"

"As long as he doesn't have a bad reaction when I take him off, he's going to be okay."

"I freaking love you, Mells." Olivia threw her arms around the taller woman's neck, squeezing. Mellie chuckled, holding her tablet to the side as she returned Olivia's hug with one arm.

"I freaking love you, too, Liv," Mellie stated as Olivia pulled away.

"How are you and the baby?" Olivia leaned against the doorframe, returning her attention to two of the most important men in her world. Fitz had gradually worked his way to the chair by the head of the bed - vacated for the moment because Olivia had insisted that Alice go get a shower and something to eat. His arms rested on his knees as he leaned forward, speaking softly to Eli.

"Tired. And no, it isn't because I was up all night working on this. I'm tired no matter how much sleep I get. We have an appointment tomorrow."

"It'll get better. That's how I knew I was pregnant with Harper and Elisha. All I did was sleep the first trimester."

"Ugh," Mellie groaned, tilting her head back for a moment before looking at Olivia, giggling, "I am so happy this happened after we moved back and not while we were still in Indonesia. I don't think I could do this without my best friend."

"Hey, I'll always be there for you no matter where you are."

Mellie smiled. "Over a cliff."

"Over a cliff," Olivia agreed.

/

"Where are they?" Olivia peeked her head out of the kitchen. She and Fitz had managed to get their shopping done and all the groceries put away without a single peep from their children.

"Mom and Micah have them in the pool."

"I bet they love that."

"Elisha won't leave mom's side. Did they want any help?"

"Mom said they're fine, but how often do we get to hang out as a family?"

"You want to go swimming?" Olivia smirked, shaking her head. He wasn't going to get by with that 'how often do we get to hang out as a family' bs. They _always _had family over. Deborah, Micah, Jase, and Mellie lived close enough that nights not spent in each other's company were a rarity.

"Yes."

She laughed at the sheepish look on her husband's face. Sometimes, he could be as bad as his children.

"Okay."

* * *

_**A/N - **_I wanted to get this posted now - there may be another chapter up tonight depending on what kind of shape I'm in. I'm not sure how many of you are football (soccer) fans, but today France plays USA in the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup so I will be drinking plenty of champagne and cheering on my team. Allez Les Bleus !

Until next time,

G. xxxx


	6. Family

**A/N -** Dendardendan - Harper can hear with the assistance of her cochlear implants, but in the beginning of the last chapter, Olivia still hadn't picked up the batteries for her implants. So in that part of the chapter, Harper was completely unaided which is why she couldn't hear anything. :)

"_Family don't end with blood, boy." ~ Bobby Singer, Supernatural_

_**Getting on our plane now. Already texted Alice. See you when we land.**_

Olivia laid her phone back on the patio table, eyes scanning the backyard. Harper and Leo were playing under the sprinkler while Elisha sat at her mother's feet, her chubby hand wrapped tightly around green chalk. She wasn't doing much other than drawing multicoloured lines and scribbles on the patio, but Olivia made sure to stop every so often and compliment the drawings.

"Daddy!" Harper's loud squeal drew Olivia's attention and she laughed at the sight of her husband slinging her little girl in the air. Harper's curls flew behind her and her face lit up as Fitz ran through the sprinkler with her, holding her close. They had finally gotten her new batteries put into her sound processors. Complete with the waterproof covers, she was able to hear and play in the water. Olivia was glad, too. Whenever they ran out of batteries and Harper was forced to go a day or so completely unaided, daily activities became slightly more difficult. It was harder for her to watch cartoons, she couldn't listen to music (one of her favourite things), and they had to make sure she was looking at them before they spoke to her. It could be draining for Fitz and Olivia, but it definitely took a toll on Harper.

"Dad!" Elisha's sudden shout, accompanied by her tiny hands clapping together enthusiastically, caught Olivia's attention. Smiling to herself, Olivia stood from her seat and slipped out of her white coverup. Standing in a lime-green cutout one-piece, she bent to grab her daughter. The toddler wore a bright pink, frilly bathing suit and a pink headband around her short curls.

"Ah! My other two girls." Fitz places Harper on her feet, keeping his hands on her shoulders for a moment as she gained her balance. Her hearing loss, caused by extra bone fragments in both ears, also played a part in her terrible balance. Olivia often joked that poor Harper would never walk a straight line.

"Someone was excited to see her daddy." Olivia returned Fitz's sweet peck before handing Elisha off - the toddler was, after all, struggling to reach her father's arms.

"Hi sweet girl. Did mommy not take you through the sprinkler?" Fitz rubbed his nose against Elisha's before turning around and heading toward the sprinkler, Elisha flapping and squealing the whole time.

/

"Harper, really?" Olivia sighed, struggling to keep her four year old on the bed as she tried to brush through the girl's thick curls.

"Put it up, mom! We're swimming later." The whole time Harper argued with her mother, her hands were moving furiously with her words. It was a tactic her mother had suggested - to sign even when she was using spoken words. It was also one Olivia and Fitz tried to follow. Both to ensure Harper didn't miss a word and, in Olivia's case, to strengthen her own knowledge of the language. Practice did make perfect.

"Your aunts are going to be here this evening and we're having dinner with your grandma. You have to look nice, Harper Faye."

"It's just Isa and Audi."

Olivia tilted her head. Sometimes Harper didn't quite enunciate well enough. That's why 'it's' sounded more like 'is' and the t at the end of just was barely audible. Still, progress was progress. Harper's speech and hearing therapist was a bit of a miracle worker.

"And aunt Mellie and uncle Jase and nana."

"Aunt Mellie doesn't care if my hair is brushed."

"Harper, let your mother brush your hair." Fitz's stern voice, coming from the doorway, was all it took for Harper's squirming to end.

After Harper's hair had been brushed and Olivia had helped her change into a floral romper, the child lay in her bed - sound asleep. All three of the kids had taken a nap after they had changed into dry clothes. As Olivia stood in the kitchen, making dinner, she hoped they would stay asleep until it was time to eat. It was definitely easier without three little ones running around - asking to help or fighting.

"I'm heading to the airport." Fitz announced, giving Olivia a chaste kiss.

"Don't scare her boyfriend away before he meets the rest of us," Olivia called at her husband's retreating back.

"What kind of brother-in-law would I be if I _didn't _scare him at least a bit?"

Olivia shook her head. God help her sister.

/

"Fitz!" Isabelle threw her arms around her brother-in-law's neck. Unlike her sister, she wasn't standing on her tiptoes to reach. She had hit quite the growth spurt her junior year of high school and, at 5'11, wasn't much shorter than Fitz. The wedges she had paired with her white, button-up cami jumpsuit made her barely a hair shorter than Fitz, to be exact.

"This is Djimon." She spun around, arm still wrapped around Fitz's and gestured toward the tall man standing to the side by Audrey. The square-framed glasses he wore softened his otherwise muscular appearance. Fitz eyed him up and down - he obviously spent a lot of time in the gym and he had dressed to impress in a pair of khakis and a blue and white button down. Extending his hand, Fitz was impressed by the kid's strong grip.

"Nice to meet you, Djimon."

"You too."

"Kenya?" Fitz's question left the young man staring at him, wide-eyed and in shock.

"How did you -"

"It's a special place to my wife and I. It's where I asked her to marry me."

"Speaking of my sister, I can't wait for you to meet her!" Isabelle finally dropped Fitz's arm, moving toward Djimon and linking her hand with his.

"Is my mom at your house?"

Fitz turned his attention to the teenager lurking behind Isabelle. Audrey, like her sister it seemed, was dwarfed by the company surrounding her. Her hair fell to her shoulders, completely straight. It was a trait she had inherited from Alice. She wore a band tee and ripped jeans. A pair of earbuds hung around her neck. No doubt she had been listening to music - it was all she did these days.

"She'll be there for dinner. How are your classes going?" Fitz wrapped an arm around her shoulders, beginning to walk toward the exit. Alice had decided to homeschool Audrey a couple years ago. It made things easier for the girl - she had gone through a period of anxiety whenever she was separated from Alice, always afraid that she would lose her mother after losing her father.

"Almost over. I have all A's."

"That's good. It'll make it easier for your sister to convince your mom to let her take you to a concert."

"What concert?" Of course that had Audrey's attention. Music was her life now.

"Some band you like. You'll have to ask Liv for the details."

Audrey nodded, slowing to match Fitz's steps as they reached his car. "Do you think my mom will take me to see my dad tonight?"

"If she doesn't, I will."

"Deal."

"Deal." Fitz smirked as Audrey held her pinky out to him. All these years and she still wasn't above sealing her deals with her 'uncle' Fitz by a pinky promise.


	7. Dead Sea

**A/N - **Lexie: Leo is 6. Harper is 4. Elisha is 2. Their ages are mentioned in the first chapter.

"_I'm not so good with the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?" ~ Chandler Bing, Friends_

"When did you start drinking coffee?"

"About a year ago?" Audrey glanced at her sister, hands wrapped around a warm mug of coffee.

"Aren't you kind of young for coffee?" Olivia teased, reaching into the cabinet by the Keurig to grab a mug.

"Everyone drinks coffee."

"And everyone decides what you do?" Olivia raised an eyebrow, moving her mug to the island and reaching for a tea bag. She placed the tea bag into her mug before leaning against the counter and turning her attention to her sister.

"Nah. That's lame."

Olivia shook her head. The two were silent as Olivia finished making her tea and Audrey turned her attention to the book in front of her. Setting her mug on the table, Olivia took a seat beside Audrey.

"What are you reading?"

"Animal Farm. I have to write a book report for my final."

"Fitz said you're doing good."

"Isa helped me with my science project. I _suck _at science."

"It's not everyone's thing."

Audrey placed a bookmark in her book, closing it and tossing it to the side. She took a sip of her coffee and shoved her auburn hair out of her face.

"It's not mine. I'm not even going to use it. I want to be an English teacher."

"Like…"

"High school English," Audrey elaborated.

"That's awesome."

Audrey nodded, glancing at her phone when it lit up. "So, Fitz said something about a concert."

"Ah. Of Mice and Men."

"Wait. Seriously?" Audrey's eyes lit up as she twisted in her seat, eyeing Olivia.

"Want to go?"

"Do you think my mom will let me?"

"She should. It'll be me, you, and Isa. Girls' night."

"You're the best, Liv." Audrey leaned across the table, throwing her arms around her sister.

/

"Any changes?" Olivia laid her purse on the windowsill of the bright room before clicking across the floor in her heels, laying her hand on Eli's shoulder. His eyes were still closed, his breathing even and, at least, unassisted. A quick glance at the monitor hanging by his bedside told her that all his numbers were good - Mellie had told her what to look for.

"Mellie thinks he may wake up any day now." Alice sounded hopeful, but exhausted. Her eyes were bloodshot and the pale skin under her eyes were dark. She wouldn't leave the hospital for any longer than to grab a quick shower and some actual food despite the amount of times Fitz and Olivia had offered a guest room.

"You really need to sleep in an actual bed," Olivia sighed, shaking her head. She bent to place a kiss to Eli's forehead before crossing the room and taking a seat on the sofa, her attention now focused on Alice.

"I will when he wakes up. When I know he's going to be okay."

"He has some great doctors, mom."

"I would worry about him the entire time."

"What if you come home for a nap when Mellie or Jase are here?"

Sighing, Alice shook her head. "Olivia, could you do that if this were Fitz?"

"No," Olivia admitted, scooting across the sofa and wrapping her arm around Alice's shoulders. Resting her head against the redhead's, she said, "I worry about you, though."

/

"Get a room!" Olivia called, sauntering onto the patio and shaking her head at her sister, legs wrapped around her boyfriend's waist in the pool and lips locked with his. Isa tilted her head back, laughing at Olivia.

"We would, but I think Fitz put us beside you guys on purpose."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that and keep thinking of you as the innocent little girl who used to sneak her pizza crust onto my plate because she wouldn't eat it."

"I grew up, Fitzy."

"She still doesn't eat pizza crust," Djimon laughed, releasing Isabelle who began to lazily swim laps around the pool. Olivia shook her head, giggling to herself, and sat in the lounge chair beside Fitz. Her eyes scanned his muscled torso - bare as he lounged in a pair of swimming trunks, sunglasses covering his eyes and a book in his hands.

"Mom said she would pick Leo and Harper up from school. Audrey is in the playroom with Elisha."

Olivia nodded. So far, Leo loved kindergarten and Harper thought she was a big girl for being in preschool. The school year was drawing to an end, though, and Olivia had already decided she wasn't ready for a first-grader or another kindergartner. They were growing too fast.

"Also, Audrey is babysitting tomorrow night. We're going on a date."

"A date?" Olivia twisted her head.

"Yes. We haven't been on one of those in a while." He winked in her direction.

"And Audrey just agreed to babysit?"

"She did, actually. I still told her I'd pay her."

"So where are we going?"

Fitz rested his book on his chest, reaching between the two of them to grab her hand. She smiled as he rubbed his thumb across her knuckles.

"That's a surprise."


	8. Wake Me Up

"_All this time I was finding myself and I didn't know I was lost." ~ Avicii_

"You're cheating!" Olivia laughed, zooming around the indoor track behind Fitz. Her helmet dug uncomfortably into her chin, but the excitement of racing her husband and all but caused her to forget about the minor inconvenience.

"Experience, babe!" Fitz yelled behind him, stomping his foot harder on the gas pedal. He went skidding around the track, going sideways at the curves.

After, Olivia leaned against an arcade game, picking at the cotton candy she had in her hand. Fitz's fingers were beating furiously against the buttons and joysticks. Leaning sideways to see the screen, she smirked as she watched Mario fall into the lava and a blocky, 'game over' appeared across the screen.

"Damnit!"

"You just don't have it anymore, babe."

"Oh, I definitely have it." He dropped his hands from the game, instantly finding a new home on her hips and pulled her close for a quick peck.

"Three babies definitely prove that you have _that _going for you," she winked, tilting her head back as he rested his forehead against hers. His lips sought hers out once more just as her phone began to ring. Pulling back, she reached into her back pocket for her phone.

"I'm sorry, babe. I know it's our date night, but it's mom."

"Answer."

She handed him her cotton candy, sliding her finger across the phone screen and holding it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Olivia! He's awake!"

Olivia's jaw fell in shock. She didn't know what to say and couldn't form any words. Thoughts were swirling around her head - mainly one single thought 'her dad was awake!' over and over again. Vaguely, she felt Fitz take her phone from her hand and heard him telling Alice that they would be at the hospital soon. In a daze, she allowed him to lead her out of the gaming facility they had decided on for their date and to their car. They rode in silence, Olivia nervously twisting her hands in her lap.

"Dad?" Olivia whispered, rooted to the doorway. Butterflies were fluttering around her stomach and tears were beginning to well in her eyes. Gaze focused on her father, she bit her lip as he smiled at her. Alice rested beside him, her arm across his shoulders.

"Hi Olivia." At the sound of his first words to her in four years, her knees began to buckle. Only Fitz's quick thinking, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding her steady. Slowly, he began leading her toward Eli's bed. When they were close enough, Eli reached out, arm shaking, and wrapped his fingers around Olivia's hand.

"Dad." This time, she let her tears fall and pulled her hand from his, throwing her arms around his neck. With Alice's arm still around his shoulders, the redhead twisted her body and placed her other arm around the two. The hug lasted for a while - all three conveying their feelings and the heartbreak of the last four years in that one hug. After they had pulled away, Eli turned his attention to Fitz.

"What's up, man?"

"Four years and he acts like nothing happened," Fitz chuckled, reaching his hand toward his friend and shaking Eli's.

* * *

"Harper is four now? I bet she looks so much like you." The next day, Olivia sat in a chair beside Eli's bed. Their intertwined hands rested on the mattress, neither willing to let the other go just yet.

"Ha. She looks just like Fitz. Her and Leo both. Elisha looks like me."

"Elisha?"

"Our...our youngest. She's two."

"I have two granddaughters I don't even know and a grandson who probably doesn't even remember me." Eli hung his head, sighing.

"They'll love you."

"Tell me about them." He finally lifted his head once more, smiling. There wasn't a point in dwelling on the past and letting it bring him down. He had to move forward.

"Leo is Fitz's little shadow. He's tall for his age and looks so much like his dad. He plays soccer, baseball, and football. I have pictures!" She grabbed her purse from the ground and dug her wallet out before tossing her purse back to the floor. Digging through her wallet, she produced a photo of Leo in a baseball uniform, blue eyeblack under his eyes and his baseball cap slightly crooked as he shouldered a bat.

"He's grown so much."

"He has. Ah! Here's one of Harper. She plays basketball and foot-soccer." Olivia passed the photo of Harper, her hair in a bun and one foot balancing on a soccer ball as she smiled at the camera. Eli's gaze passed over the picture and he raised a finger, tracing the tiny objects that were barely noticeable on the side of Harper's head.

"Is she -"

"She is deaf. She has extra bones in her ears that prevent the other bones from moving correctly. They tried doing surgery when she was a baby to remove the extra bones, but her facial nerves are embedded in her eardrums."

"You're going to have to teach me how to sign."

Olivia smiled at the sweet gesture from her father. Her whole family had been supportive after they had learned that Harper couldn't hear. Alice and Audrey had learned some ASL while Mellie and Jase both had taken classes offered by the hospital. Deborah had been quick to pick it up when she was around and even Micah was slowly beginning to learn. It was nice to have such a supportive group.

"And this -" Olivia tossed her wallet into her open purse and unlocked her phone, scrolling through photos until she found one of her youngest sitting in front of her birthday cake - a wide, toothy grin on her face and her curls held back by a white bow, "is Elisha."

"This one is all you, Olivia." Eli smiled, holding Olivia's phone in his hands.

"She is! The only one of the three. She's a major daddy's girl, though."

"Fitz always has been great with kids," Eli chuckled, handing her phone back.

"I can't wait for you to meet them."

"I can't wait to meet them, either."


End file.
